Dynamo-electric machine



May 2, 1939.

J. C. AYDELOTT DYNAMO-ELEGTRIC MACHINE Original Filed April 9. 1937 Fg. l.

John C. 'de'lott,

His Attorne'.

Patented May 2, 1939 2,156,958

DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINE John C. Aydelott, Erie, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York l,original application April 9. 1937, serial No.

135,930. Divided andthis application December 31, 1937, Serial No. 182,761V

3 Claims. (Cl. 171-252) My invention relates to dynamo-electric the coupling between the engine I and the machines, generator should be made as light and short as This application is a division of my copending. possible and yet meet the necessary magnetic application, Serial No. 135,930, filed April 9, 193'?. and mechanical requirements of the machine.

An object of .my invention is to provide an As shown in Fig. 2, the rotatable member of the 5 improved and simplified construction of the rogenerator is provided with a laminated core 20 tatable memberof the dynamo-electric machine supported on a hollow shaft 2|, which is prowhich will enable the construction of a machine vided with a single bearing |2 arranged to supof reduced axial length. port the opposite end of the shaft from that O Another object of my invention is toprovide an which is coupled to the engine shaft. An armaimproved .and simplified 'ar-mature head,`fan, ture winding 22 is arranged on the laminated starting gear mounting, and coupling connection core 20, and is connected to a current collecting which will enable the use of only one bearing device or commutator 23. This commutator 23 for supporting the rotatable member of a dyis carried by the hollow shaft 2| on the end therenamo-electric machine. of adjacent the bearing |2, and is clamped in A further object of my invention is to provide position thereon between an annular flanged an improved and simplied Ventilating arrangemember 24, which engages a shoulder 25 on the ment for the rotatable member of dynamo-elecshaft 2i and an annular flanged member 26,

tric machines. which is secured in position by a nut 21 20 Further objects and advantages of my inventhreadedly engaging a shoulder 28 formed on the tion will become apparent and my invention will hollow shaft 2|. The annular member 24 is probe better understood from the following descripvided-With an annular axially extending ange tion referring to the accompanying drawing, and 29 Which iS radially SDaCed rOIn the Shaft 2| the features of novelty which characterize my and engages One end 0f the laminated core 20.

invention will be pointed out with particularity A plurality Of aXially eXtending Openings 3il iS 2 in the claims annexed to and forming a part of formed in the shaft 2| through the shoulder 28 this speeifleation, adjacent the commutator 23, and communicates For a better understanding of my invention, With the interior of the stationary7 member 0f reference is made te the accompanying drawing the generator and with the interior of the axially 30 wherein Fig. l illustrates a power unit including extending Central Opening 3| fermed in the t0 an engine and a generator driven thereby emhOllOW Shaft 21- A plurality 0f radial Opening bodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a partial 32 also is formed through the shaft 2| and comsectional side elevational/view of the generator mUniCateS Witlr an annular passage which iS Ashown in Fig. 1. formed between the flange 29 and the shaft 2|.

Referring to the drawing, 1 have shown e, This provides a shaft of relatively light weight 35 power unit including a prime moverA 0r internal which considerably reduces the total weight of combustion engine I0 arranged to drive a genthe rOtatable member 0f the dynamo-electric erator or dynamo-electric machine having a stamachine. tional-y member Il and a rotatable member The rotatable member of the generator is prodirectly supported by and coupled to the shaft of vided With an armature end head which com- 40 the engine lu at one end, and supported at the prises an annular member 33 arranged about other end by a, bearing I2 in a, hub, I3, supported the endOf the Shaft 2| adjacent` the engine alld by arms I4 formed on the stationary member in engagement with the laminated core 20 to In this arrangement, the generator requires no Secure it aXially Of the shaft against the annular bearing for the rotatable member at the end flange 29 and a flange 34 formed on the shaft 45 adjacent the engine. The stationary member 2|. An inwardly radially extending annular is secured to a fan housing I5, which is arranged flange 35 engages the end 36 of the shaft 2|, and about a Ventilating fan and secured to a flange iS Secured thereto by SCreWS 31 which are I6 formed on the engine block I0. An electric threaded into the end 36 of the shaft. A venengine starting motor is provided which may tilating fan 38 is formed on the end head and 50 be connected to the engine shaft through gears supported on a radially extending flange 39. The connected to a pinion I8 extending through an fan 38 communicates with openings 40 formed in opening I9 formed in the fan housing |5. the annular member 33 of the end heard which In order to reduce the weight and size of this communicates with an annular groove 4| formed power unit, it is desirable that the generator and in the inner end of the annular member 33. 55

' ings 42 formed in the laminated core 20 which vided for the machine.

extends between the annular groove 4| and the annular passage formed between the flange 28 and the shaft 2l. The excitation of the stationary member Il is provided by. energizing windings 43 arranged on a plurality of salient pole pieces 44 bolted to the frame Il. In this manner, a very efficient Ventilating system is pro- 'I'he Ventilating air is drawn into the stationary member of the generator through a plurality of openings .45 formed.

in a shield 48 arranged' about the commutator end of the generator, and passes through they axially extending openings 30 into the central opening 3| in the shaft 2i, radially outwardly through the openings 32, into the annular passage between the flange 29 and the shaft 2|, through'the axial Ventilating passages 42 in the laminated core 20, into the annular groove 4I, through the axial passages 40 in the end head, and is blown out by the centrifugal fan 38 Athrough openings 41 formed in the fan housing I5. The Ventilating air also is drawn through the openings 45 into the spaces between the pole pieces 44 and the air gap between the armature 20 and the inner faces of the pole pieces 44 by the fan 38. This provides a Ventilating air path through the stationary member parallel to the armature cooling air path, which merges with it at the intake of the fan 38.

An axially extending annular flange 48 'is formed on the outer periphery of the radially extending annular flange 39 and forms a support for an engine starting ring gear 49, which may be connected through the pinion I8 to the engine starting motor l1. In order to support this End of the generator armature and to couple the generator to the shaft of the engine I0, I provide a flexible coupling between the unitary armature head and an extension 50 8l the engine crank shaft. An annular flange 5| is formed on the end of the crank shaft 50, and a coupling plate 52 is secured by bolts 53 to the flange 5|. 'I'he coupling plate 52 is flexibly connected to the radially extending flange 39 of the armature head by a laminated resilient coupling disk or member formed of sheets of spring steel. This laminated coupling disk comprises two concentric annular portions 54 and 55 which are connected together by radially extending spaced apart arms 56. The inner annular portion 54 of the resilient disk is rigidly secured by screws 51 to the rotatable coupling plate 52, and the inner periphery of the resilient laminated coupling fits on an annular axially extending flange 58 formed on the coupling plate 52. 'I'he outer annular portion of the resilient coupling disk is secured to the armature head by bolts 59 which extend through openings formed in the annular flange 39, and the outer periphery of the laminated coupling fits within the annular axially extending ilange 48. In this manner, the rotatable member of the generator is flexibly and resiliently connected to the engine crank shaft 50, and its inertia provides suflicient fly-wheel effect so that it is unnecessary to provide a flywheel to dampen engine torque variations.

While I have illustrated and described a particular 'embodiment of my invention, modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. I desire it to -be understood, therefore, that my invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangement disclosed, and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A dynamo-electric machine having a rotatable member, an annular member arranged to Y member for supporting the end of said rotat able member adjacent said annular member and for providing a driving connection with said dynamo-electric machine through said fan, and other means for supporting the other end vof said rotatable member.

2. A dynamo-electric machine having an armature mounted on a shaft, a unitary structure including an annular member arranged to provide an armature head, a fan formed on said annular member, a gear mounting formed on said unitary structure, and means including said unitary structure for providing a driving connection with said armature and for supporting the end of said armature shaft adjacent said unitary structure.

3. A dynamo-electric machine having a rotatable member and a shaft provided with an axially extending opening therein, a laminated core supported on said shaft, said laminated core having axially extending Ventilating openings, said shaft having openings therein communicating with the axially extending openings in said laminated core and adjacent one end thereof, a current collecting device carried by said shaft adjacent one end of said core, said current collecting device having openings extending into the axially extending openings in said shaft adjacent the outer end thereof, said current collecting de,- vice also having openings providing communication between said shaft openings adjacent said core and said axial core openings, a unitary structure adjacent the other end of said shaft from said current collecting device including an annular member arranged to secure said laminated core on said shaft, a fan formed on said annular member, and openings in said annular member providing communications between said core Ventilating openings and said fan, said unitary structure being arranged to support said shaft at said other end thereof.

JOHN C. AYDELOTI'I. 

